After a successful trip around the Moon, everything has been going smoothly on the Orion spacecraft’s journey back to Earth – except for the $23 million toilet, which has gotten clogged.
The system designed to flush wastewater into space is malfunctioning, and NASA believes that a chemical reaction in the urine treatment system is the culprit.
kAm%96 7642= 5:DA@D2= DJDE6>[ :? 2 D6A2C2E6 4@?5F:E[ :D H@C<:?8 AC@A6C=J]k^Am
kAmpDEC@?2FE r9C:DE:?2 z@49 D2:5 E96 D@\42==65 &?:G6CD2= (2DE6 |2?286>6?E $JDE6> H2D 8:G:?8 @77 Q2 3FC?:?8 962E6C D>6==]Qk^Am
kAm#:4< w6?7=:?8[ 7=:89E 5:C64E@C 7@C E96 pCE6>:D xx >:DD:@?[ DEC6DD65 %F6D52J E92E QE96 E@:=6E C6>2:?D @A6C2E:@?2=] %96 492==6?86 E92E H6VC6 H@C<:?8 E9C@F89 :D 6G24F2E:?8 E96 H2DE6H2E6C E2?<[Q 96 D2:5] Q$@ H6VC6 92G:?8 E@ 72== 324< E@ D@>6 @E96C 2=E6C?2E6 >62?D]Qk^Am
kAm&?56C !=2? q[ E96 7@FC 2DEC@?2FED 2C6 FD:?8 A6CD@?2= C6FD23=6 4@?E2:?6CD 42==65 Q4@==2AD:3=6 4@?E:?86?4J FC:?6 5:DA@D2= 56G:46D]Qk^Am
kAm%96 E@:=6E AC@3=6> H2D C6A@CE65 ;FDE 9@FCD 27E6C =:7E@77 7C@> r2A6 r2?2G6C2=[ u=@C:52] z@49 25;FDE65 E96 DJDE6>VD 4@?EC@=D[ C6DE2CE65 E96> H:E9 E96 96=A @7 >:DD:@? 4@?EC@=[ 2?5 E92E 2AA62C65 E@ C6D@=G6 E96 :DDF6]k^Am
kAmQxV> AC@F5 E@ 42== >JD6=7 2 DA246 A=F>36C[” z@49 D2:5 :? 96C 7:CDE 3C:67:?8 7C@> E96 DA2464C27E[ H9:49 :D E@ DA=2D9 5@H? :? E96 !24:7:4 ~462? @? uC:52J] $96 42==65 E96 E@:=6E “AC@323=J E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E A:646 @7 6BF:A>6?E @? 3@2C5]Qk^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E96 AC@3=6> 92D A6CD:DE65] %96 2DEC@?2FED 2C6 F?23=6 E@ 7=FD9 E96 H2DE6H2E6C :?E@ DA246]k^Am
kAm%96 :DDF6 92D 366? 2 4@?DE2?E E@A:4 @7 5:D4FDD:@? 2E AC6DD 4@?76C6?46D 96=5 2E E96 y@9?D@? $A246 r6?E6C :? w@FDE@?[ %6I2D] k^Am
kAm%9:D :D E96 D2>6 46?E6C E92E :? `hf_ C646:G65 2DEC@?2FE y24< $H:86CEVD >6DD286i Qw@FDE@?[ H6VG6 925 2 AC@3=6>[Q 27E6C 2? @IJ86? E2?< 6IA=@D:@? 23@CE65 pA@==@ `b’D |@@? =2?5:?8[ DE2CE:?8 2 92CC@H:?8 6>6C86?4J E92E 6G6?EF2==J 3C@F89E E9@D6 E9C66 2DEC@?2FED 324< E@ t2CE9 D276=J]k^Am
k9am\ r96>:42=D[ ?@E :46 \k^9am
kAm}p$p :?:E:2==J E9@F89E E96 E@:=6E AC@3=6> >:89E 36 5F6 E@ 7C66K:?8 :? E96 7:=E6CD]k^Am
kAmqFE w6?7=:?8 D2:5 E92E E96 AC@3=6> H2D ?@E :46] %96 DA2464C27E 92D 366? C@E2E65 E@ 7246 E96 DF? E@ Q32<6 @77 2?J :46Q 2?5 962E6CD 92G6 366? 24E:G2E65[ Q2?5 H6 DE:== D66 3=@4<286[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ%96 =2E6DE E96@CJ :D C6=2E65 E@ D@>6 @7 E96 496>:DECJ E92E 8@6D :?E@ 6?DFC:?8 E92E E96 H2DE6H2E6C 5@6D?VE 56G6=@A 2?J 3:@7:=>D[Q @C >:4C@@C82?:D>D[ 96 D2:5] %96 496>:42= C624E:@? >2J 36 86?6C2E:?8 D@>6 563C:D E92EVD Q86EE:?8 4=@8865 :? 2 7:=E6C]”k^Am
kAm%96 E@:=6E @? 3@2C5 ~C:@? :D D:>:=2C E@ E96 @?6 @? E96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= $A246 $E2E:@?[ 3FE E9:D :D E96 7:CDE E:>6 :E 92D 366? FD65 @? 2 4C6H65 566A\DA246 >:DD:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 pA@==@ 2DEC@?2FED 5:5?VE 92G6 2 E@:=6E 2?5 FD65 DA64:2= 328D 7@C H2DE6]k^Am
kAm~? E96 ~C:@? DA2464C27E[ H9:49 :D 7:G6 >6E6CD :? 5:2>6E6C 2?5 2 =:EE=6 @G6C E9C66 >6E6CD 9:89[ E96 E@:=6E :D =@42E65 36?62E9 E96 7=@@C – E96 @?=J A=246 @? 3@2C5 H96C6 E96 2DEC@?2FED 42? 36 2=@?6]k^Am
kAm%96 4C2>A65 E@:=6E DA246 :D G6CJ ?@:DJ :?D:56[ D@ E96J >FDE AC@E64E E96:C 62CD] xE 92D DF4E:@? DJDE6>D E@ 4@>A6?D2E6 7@C >:4C@8C2G:EJ]k^Am
kAmu646D 2C6 A=2465 :? 5:DA@D23=6 328D E92E 4@>A24E 2?5 H:== 36 3C@F89E 324< E@ t2CE9]k^Am
kAm{@C: v=2K6[ 2DD@4:2E6 25>:?:DEC2E@C @7 }p$pVD tIA=@C2E:@? $JDE6>D s6G6=@A>6?E |:DD:@? s:C64E@C2E6[ D2:5 E92E Q2D D@@? 2D H6 86E E9:D 5@H? @? E96 8C@F?5[ H6V== 36 23=6 E@ 86E :?D:56 2?5 H6 H:== 86E E@ E96 C@@EQ @7 E96 AC@3=6>]k^Am
kAm>2G^>;7^>DAk^Am


